A furnace system must have more than heating power to provide comfort to a house. It also needs to be able to evenly distribute heat around the different rooms connected to the ducts. After all, a furnace without a working air handler to move air from the furnace cabinet and into the ductwork isn’t much good!
One of the more frequent problems homeowners have with a furnace is when the heater creates hot or cold spots around the rooms. The family room may feel stuffy when the thermostat is set at a moderately warm temperature, while one of the upstairs rooms is as warm as an ice-skating rink.
We have many years of experience installing, repairing, and maintaining furnaces in Madera, CA and throughout the Central Valley. We’ve handled numerous repair jobs to fix uneven heating issues. Below are some of the more common causes of this problem we’ve dealt with. You can trust us to have your uneven home heating remedied.
Bad ventilation
If airflow through the furnace is blocked, it will result in some rooms being too cold. A common reason for this is a dirty air filter. We recommend changing the furnace filter every 1 to 3 months to prevent this. You may also have blocked vents in rooms. Check to see that all the vents in the colder rooms are cleared away and fully open.
Short-cycling
This is a situation where the furnace isn’t completing a full heating cycle. It’s running, but then shuts off early, only to turn back on again a short time later. This can lead to some rooms not receiving enough heat because the furnace isn’t staying on long enough. Short-cycling has a number of possible causes, but it’s important to have the root problem fixed soon, otherwise the extra strain put on the heating system may lead to larger repair issues.
Ductwork problems
We’re also experts at handling ductwork, from repairs to manufacture, so we know how poor ductwork can end up creating a comfort imbalance around a house. Your home may have a bad duct design that’s causing some rooms to receive too much heating, or there might be leaks along the ducts preventing heated air from reaching particular rooms. We can find out the problem and repair, seal, or replace the ducts.
Thermostat trouble
You might encounter excessively hot rooms because the furnace won’t stop running. This is often the fault of a disconnection between the thermostat and the furnace. A miscalibrated thermostat can also result in the furnace running at the wrong times, leading to poor heat distribution.
A furnace that’s too old
Uneven comfort from a furnace is often a warning sign the system is coming to the end of its service life. As heating power declines, you’ll notice rooms further along the ventilation network not receiving the heat levels they’re supposed to. If you have a furnace more than 15 years old, call our technicians to inspect it. We can give you an honest answer about whether you should repair the furnace or have it replaced.